Life With The Marauders
by Our Eleventh Hour
Summary: A James lives story. He, along with Sirius and Remus, raise Harry. NO SLASH.
1. Halloween

Life With The Marauders

Chapter One

"I hate this." James sighed in frustration, tossing _The Daily Prophet_ onto the kitchen table.

"I know, but there's nothing we can do about it." Lily sympathized. She didn't like that her family had to go into hiding, but it had to be done. She was not going to risk her son's life. Lily glanced at the _Prophet_ to see what had set her husband off today. The headline '**2 More Dead to Death Eaters**' caught her attention.

"What's the point of being an Auror if I can't help anyone?" James questioned, speaking more to himself than his wife.

Lily Potter didn't have an answer to that. It was a miracle the other Marauders had convinced James to agree to go into hiding, but that didn't mean he liked it. Wanting to get her husband's mind off the daily newspaper Lily asked, "So how did Peter take the news?"

James looked up from the table and gave a small smile, "He was surprised. Pete didn't expect to be made Secret-Keeper. Said Sirius was the obvious choice. Which is exactly why Padfoot wanted us to switch keepers."

"Speaking of Sirius," Lily started, "Does he still believe Remus is the spy?"

Her husband replied, "He thinks it's possible. Sirius doesn't want to put full blame on Moony but...you have to admit Remus has been acting a bit odd lately."

"Well Dumbledore did send him to try and recruit other werewolves. That's got to be stressful." Lily pointed out.

"I'm not saying it's Remus," James put his hands up in mock surrender, "But I do agree he's acting strange. But you've got a point Lily. So, do we have any plans today?"

Thinking for a moment, Lily shook her head, "No, I don't think so. We don't have to worry about trick-or-treaters this year-"

"That's such an odd Muggle holiday." James said, "Who would give out candy to children dressed as Merlin knows what? And what kind of name is 'Hall of Ween'?"

Lily rolled her eyes, "It's Halloween, James."

"Whatever." he laughed, "It's still weird. Since we don't have anything planned, I might drop in on Sirius."

"You know we're not suppose to leave, James." Lily told her husband seriously, "If you really want to talk to Sirius, go get that mirror you two have. What's the point of the Fidelius Charm if you don't stay hidden?" she crossed her arms, daring him to contradict her.

James put his head in his hands and his elbows on the kitchen table, "I know, I know. It's just...I hate being cooped up here Lily! I should be out there putting Death Eaters in Azkaban, not sleeping the day away."

"You don't sleep the day away, you play with your son."

He sent her a glare, "You know what I mean." the glare disappeared, "I'm sounding a bit selfish aren't I? You're stuck here too. Sorry...guess everything's just starting to get to me."

Lily stood up and walked around the square table to her husband, wrapping her arms around his neck and putting her chin on his head, "It's not your fault James. We both hate it, but like I said it has to be done." a moment of silence passed, "If you're not gone too long, I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to visit Sirius. Just don't tell Dumbledore I let you go."

James smiled and stood up, giving his wife a brief kiss. "I'll only be gone half an hour, promise." The man rushed over to the fireplace, took a pinch of Floo powder, and walked into the fireplace, saying "Number 12, Grimmauld Place." He was gone in an instant, leaving Lily looking at the fireplace.

Glancing at the clock, Lily noticed it was already ten in the evening. She went to the nursery to check on her son before returning to the living room, laying down on the comfortable couch to wait for her husband to return. She shifted on the couch and pulled her wand out of her pocket, setting it carefully on the table. The witch fell asleep within the first few minutes of lying down. It couldn't have been more than ten or fifteen minutes when the Potters' front door blew open forcefully, waking Lily up immediately. Already knowing what was going on, the mother jumped up from the couch and ran to her son's room on the second floor. She slammed the door shut behind her which resulted in waking young Harry. The baby began crying upon waking up.

"Sh, sh, it's okay." Lily said as she picked up her son, though whether she was trying to soothe her son or herself she wasn't sure. Looking around the room, she searched for any means of escape.

A closed window caught her eye, but they were on the second floor. She knew they should have put some sort of portkey in the house. The sound of creaking stairs made her breathing hitch. Harry had finally quit crying, almost as if he knew something bad was about to happen. It looked like she was going to have to fight her way out of here. Reaching towards her back pocket, Lily mentally cursed herself. She'd left her wand downstairs beside the couch, sleeping with a wand in your pocket wasn't very comfortable.

A shadow that came in under the door made her freeze. Blood pumping, she waited for the inevitable.

**a/n: For those of you following the James Potter Series, no I haven't given up on it. This has been stored in my files for a long time so I decided to post it and see what kind of feedback I get. I've got a ton of stories to tie up, but I wanted this option out there..so REVIEW! :D**


	2. What He Found

Life With The Marauders

Chapter Two

"I'll mirror you when I get home." James said happily as he prepared to Apparate. It was impossible to floo to the Potters' home even if you did know the location, a ward Dumbledore had set up himself.

"Bye James." Sirius waved as James disappeared on the spot.

James found himself about three streets from his and Lily's home. He looked to the sky to see a dark cloud. The man put it off as someone having a bonfire. As James walked past the houses, he saw Muggle children in costumes of all sorts; ghosts, ghouls, goblins, werewolves, witches, and much more. He couldn't help himself, he had to laugh. These Muggles had no idea what a _real_ goblin looked like.

Before he knew it, he had arrived on his street. Looking up he expected a few things: the living room light to be on and his house. What he saw was much, much worse.

The dark cloud he had thought to be from a bonfire was actually from his own home. The front door was completely destroyed, also. No one had been around to investigate themselves or call the Muggle authorities because the majority of Godric's Hollow, well this part of it, were wizards and witches.

Breaking into a run, James rushed to his home. Through the front door he went. No sign of anyone besides the scorch marks on the walls from when the door had been blasted open.

"Lily!" James shouted desperately, "Lily!"

He ducked his head into the kitchen which was untouched. Leaving the kitchen he checked another room on the first floor before rushing up the stairs, "Lily?" he called out again and again as he checked the rooms. Finally, he came to the last room in the house; Harry's bedroom.

Maybe James had subconsciously left this room alone until now because he just knew both his wife and his son were dead. The door was open, but he couldn't make himself look into the room. Closing his eyes tightly for a moment, he reopened them and stepped into the room.

Lily was lying dead on the floor. Her eyes were shut and her chest wasn't moving. A loud sob broke through James' mouth. Slowly he made himself walk over to the only girl he'd ever loved. When he reached her he fell to his knees and allowed more and more sobs to come.

He didn't notice around the room that there was a mark on the wall where Voldemort himself had stood and pointed his wand at Harry James Potter after killing the boy's mother. He didn't notice said boy was watching him silently from the crib behind Lily.

For what felt like hours, James sat there on his knees and cried his heart out. Never again would he see the most beautiful girl in the world give him the best smile he'd ever seen. She'd never laugh. She'd never scold him and Sirius for flying on broomsticks with their one year old son. She wouldn't tell James to, "-stop being such a prat-". The Christmas gift he had already bought her months ago, a gold bracelet with a small heart attached to it, would remain in the box hidden under James' side of the bed.

James didn't even notice Sirius enter the room.

"James?" Sirius said his best friend's name softly before seeing what his friend was staring at. "My God..." he swallowed and just couldn't tear his eyes away from the unmoving form of Lily Potter. It had been two hours since James had left Sirius' home when Sirius got worried. Sometimes James forgot to mirror him for around an hour, but two hours? Never. He'd quickly dressed and Apparated two streets away from the Potters'.

"H-He k-k-killed her." James got out, letting another sob out. His voice was hoarse from all of the crying he'd just done.

For a minute Sirius seemed not to have heard anything, then he mentally shook himself and walked over to his best friend since First Year. Crouching down, he put a hand on James' arm, "Come on Prongs, we need to get out of here-"

James shook his head violently, "No! I c-can't leav-ve her."

Sirius swallowed a couple of times and inwardly sighed. He released his friend and stood up. His gaze found a pair of emerald green eyes. Harry. He had almost forgotten all about his godson! Swiftly, Sirius strode over to the crib and lifted Harry out.

_It's amazing he's still awake. _Sirius mused as he gently bounced the quiet child, _James and Lily are-_ he winced physically. It was so hard to believe she was...gone. He turned back to his friend and said, "James. We need to get you two out of here. Come on, Harry needs to get to sleep."

As soon as Sirius said 'Harry' James' attention focused on his son. James stood up and held out his arms. Sirius wasted no time placing the child in James' waiting arms as tears slid down both of their faces. He took James by the elbow and led him out of Harry's room, the room where Lily had died. A strange thought occurred to Sirius, _Why was Harry still alive?_ Of course he was over-joyed the boy was okay, Sirius shot a look at his godson. _Wait a minute..._ Harry wasn't alright. A lightning-bolt scar sat upon his forehead, red and inflamed against his pale skin. Sirius reached out a hand when the trio arrived at the living room. He was just about to touch Harry when James jerked backwards.

"James...?" Sirius asked, bewildered by Prongs' reaction to him. "I'm not going to hurt him, Prongs. I just wanted to look at his forehead."

James swallowed and glanced at his son's forehead, having to do a double take. He too had seen the strange marking. "What in the-" he said as he touched his son's forehead. James was cut off by the startling sound of Harry bursting into tears. "Hey, hey. It's okay, I'm sorry Harry. I'm sorry." he tried to comfort his only son, rocking him in his arms like he had seen Lily do a million and one times. Harry continued to cry and soon James' sobs had returned. The Potter father hadn't even noticed Sirius pulling him into the fireplace with him and taking them to 'Hogwarts, Headmaster's Office'.

Sirius watched as James began to pace, trying to soothe Harry as he did so. He couldn't make out any of the words since the baby was crying and James himself was crying, also.

A flash of orange and yellow fire had the two men looking up towards the only desk in the room to see Albus Dumbledore appear with Fawkes behind him. Dumbledore had a long white beard, a purple cloak on, and half-moon glasses. His usually twinkling blue eyes held no twinkle tonight.

"I've just been to Godric's Hollow." Dumbledore said sadly, "She will be missed by many, James. I'm sorry for your loss."

Those five last words sent James' tears into overdrive.

"I think it would be best if we discuss...recent events in the morning." Dumbledore continued after a moment, "You can all three stay here in the Room of Requirement as long as you need to. If you need anything, please feel free to come to my office."

When James didn't say anything Sirius answered for him, "Thank you, Professor." Again he took James by the elbow and led him out of the office, down the staircase, past the gargoyle and through many twists and turns to the Room of Requirement. Sirius walked past the entrance three times, focusing on what kind of things he needed right now. A brown door appeared and he pulled it open, James following him.

The room was painted in a dark red color and the floor was carpeted white. There were two beds and a crib between them. Near the crib was a small chest of toys for Harry later on if they were needed. A round table with three chairs sat towards the center of the room. On the far wall, a small kitchen was set up with a refrigerator, microwave, stove, sink, and a counter.

James immediately began his pacing again. Sirius watched him for several minutes before suggesting he go to bed. Reluctantly the father agreed, putting Harry in the crib. James pulled his wand out of his back pocket and muttered a spell to change his clothes into a pair of blue pajamas. Sirius did the same, but his pajamas were brown.

About an hour later the two men were awoken by the sound of a crying baby. At first, Sirius was very confused. It took him several minutes to turn over and figure out where he was and why he was there. Just as he was about to get up and move to his godson, James was up and already picking up Harry.

"Sh, sh, sh." James said as he bounced Harry. Despite his father's attempts, Harry continued to cry and cry. After thirty minutes of this Sirius forgot all thoughts of sleep.

"Is he hungry?" Sirius suggested with a yawn, getting out of bed and walking over to his best friend and his son in the kitchen.

James shook his head, "I've tried giving him a bottle three times already." His voice was tired-like.

"Does he need to be...you know...changed?" Sirius made a motion with his hands.

Again, James shook his head. "Already been done."

"Then what does he want?"

"Lily." James told him painfully. His son was never going to be held by his mother again, and for some reason James had the idea that Harry knew that and that was why he was crying continuously.

Sirius pushed down the lump in his throat and said, "Want me to give it a go? You look bloody tired, Prongs."

"I can't get to sleep Sirius...every time I close my eyes I see L-Lily on the fl-loor."

A knock at the door stopped Sirius from replying. He ran over to the bed and pulled his wand out from under the pillow before moving to the door, opening it slowly. Once he had seen who was there, he opened the door more quickly and ushered the man in.

Remus Lupin hurried to James' side and put him in an one-armed embrace. It was a bit awkward since Harry was between them, but James was just glad he still had two good friends.

"I came as quickly as I could." Remus said, pulling away from his friend.

"Thanks Remus." James thanked him as Sirius joined them. Harry was still crying, but the cries were slowly getting better. Without any warning, he stopped.

Sirius raised an eyebrow, "Glad you came along, Moony. No offense James, but your son has a set of lungs on him."

**a/n: Alright, I know that last sentence Sirius says is a bit lame, but he's trying to lighten the mood a little even if it is unintentional. Sirius is the kind of guy that still jokes, even if it's lame and such, no matter what. **

**Reviews? I love them!**

**Honestly, I'm shocked at how many people wanted to see the next update up so soon...which is exactly why I wrote this chapter earlier than I originally planned!**

**And also, I know that these chapters aren't too long...but I end them where I think would be a good place to end them. Sorry.  
**


	3. Plans

Life With The Marauders

Chapter Three

Eventually the three men were able to get the baby to sleep, though James was reluctant to put his son down. They met over at the table with the three chairs and all took a seat.

Remus was the first to break the somewhat uncomfortable silence, careful to use a whisper so he didn't wake Harry, "So, I might have found a job."

"That's brilliant Moony!" Sirius exclaimed in a loud whisper. For werewolves it was extremely difficult to find work. People were so scared of what happened to a man or woman once a month that they seem to think those people aren't worthy of jobs. "Where?"

"It's a small bookstore in Diagon Alley, very small. But the owner doesn't seem to care about my 'furry little problem'. And since it's a small store and not very popular, she doesn't mind that I might have to take off a few days every month because of the full moon." Remus explained with a small smile. This would be his first paying job in four months. He had been able to stretch his small life savings pile since his last job, but it wasn't easy. Every time James or Sirius had offered to pay for something, Remus would stubbornly say he refused charity.

"Books? Figures." Sirius muttered with a grin.

"That's great, Remus." James told his friend honestly. The trio talked for a half hour before returning to bed. Remus had asked the Room for a bed and soon found one next to the kitchen.

The next morning, James wasn't surprised to find Harry still asleep. They had both been up late last night. James had to roll his eyes to see Sirius still asleep, snoring, with one arm hanging off one side of the bed. He looked over at Remus to find the werewolf wasn't in bed, but was making breakfast.

"Morning, James." Remus greeted. The man had always been an early riser. Sirius had always complained during their Hogwarts years about Remus always being the first up, but no one was really sure why. James guessed Sirius just wanted something to complain about.

"Mornin'." the father replied with a yawn. He wandered over to the kitchen and watched Remus as he made eggs and bacon. Lily had always said Remus was definitely the best cook out of all the Marauders. James wasn't too bad, but he still wasn't sure how exactly to make an omelet. When Sirius had cooked, James had started a game of "Guess What This Is!" which involved everyone placing bets on what the food really was. Peter could have burned water.

Peter.

A rush of rage shot through James Potter. Peter. It was his fault Lily was-dead! Peter, a friend since First Year, had betrayed him, Lily, and Harry.

"James? James?" Remus was standing before him, shaking him gently. "What's wrong?"

"It's all his fault." James told the werewolf simply, "Peter."

Remus raised an eyebrow and put his hands back to his side, "Peter? James, what did he do?"

James explained how everyone would think Sirius would be the Secret-Keeper for him and Lily which made him a target automatically. Sirius had requested changing the Keeper to Peter, who no one would expect therefore keeping the Potters safe. Remus took all of this in slowly before turning around and pacing angrily.

"Peter?" Remus asked quietly, "But..._why_?"

"He's a bloody prat, that's why." Sirius said, causing the other two men to jump slightly. The dog Animagus walked over to his two friends as Remus stopped his pacing. "James...I'm so sorry. I didn't know-"

"It's okay Padfoot." James told him softly. Was everything okay? Of course not. But James wasn't going to let Sirius blame himself for Peter being the spy. It wasn't Sirius' fault. It was Peter's. And James thought it was his fault too. He shouldn't have left his wife alone and gone to Sirius' house. Maybe he could have saved her...

"Harry's up, James." Remus informed the hazel eyed man, inclining his head to the direction of the crib.

James hurried over to his son and took him out of the crib as Sirius attempted to get the baby some food. In the end, Remus had had to make the bottle himself. James fed Harry while Sirius and Remus ate the food Remus had made. After Sirius was finished he took over feeding Harry and James ate. He didn't eat much, he wasn't very hungry for the moment. Remus and Sirius didn't say anything to him about his appetite.

Once everyone was dressed for the day, the three men started pulling out toys for Harry to play with out of the small toy chest. Harry settled on some blocks with different animals on them and began chewing on one with a giraffe.

"No, Harry." James scolded lightly, taking the block from his son's mouth. After a couple more wet blocks, Remus suggested getting him some other toys. Sirius charmed a small toy dog to run around and bark. It was only the size of Sirius' palm, but Harry seemed to enjoy it. Reaching into the toy bin, he pulled out a wolf and a stag and charmed them too.

Harry found great amusement in his new toys and happily watched the dog chase his tail, the stag jump over random objects, and the wolf roll on the floor.

"Nice work, Padfoot." Remus complemented his friend.

"Thank you, Mr. Moony." Sirius smiled proudly, more than glad he could amuse his godson with something.

Dumbledore arrived about an hour later. James conjured another chair and the four men sat at the table in the room. Harry remained by the toy bin, playing with the three moving figures still.

"James," Dumbledore started, "can you tell us what happened last night?"

The man in question's throat was rather dry but he told Dumbledore, Remus, and Sirius about going to Sirius' house. About how he came home and walked the two streets to Godric's Hollow and found the front door blown open. How he checked all the rooms before going to Harry's where he found Lily. Sirius took over from there since he and James were together by then, and explained what happened when he arrived at Godric's Hollow and took James and Harry to Hogwarts.

"But, how did Voldemort get past the Fidelius Charm?"

All three men looked angry at the question. Sirius answered,

"Originally I was the Secret-Keeper."

"Yes, so I would have thought." Dumbledore nodded.

"Exactly." Sirius said as to prove a point, "Everyone would expect me. I wanted to protect James and Lily and Harry the best I could...but _everyone_ would know I was the Secret-Keeper. So I asked James to change it to Peter Pettigrew... A bloody mistake. As soon as that little rat found out he was the new Keeper I bet he ran straight to Voldemort, too!"

Dumbledore nodded sadly, "I agree with you, Sirius."

"So what happens now?" Remus asked when a silence had engulfed the four men, broken only by the sounds in the background of the small child playing.

"Now, I need to request once again James that you go back into hiding-"

"No way." James shook his head, "No way, Professor. Hiding? Again? I was just in hiding for a month and a half. Our Secret-Keeper betrayed us! Lily's dead..."

"James," Sirius and Remus sighed in unison.

"No. It's not that I don't trust you two," he said honestly, "But I'm not going to go into hiding again. I don't want Harry having to grow up in hiding. We won't broadcast where we live, but there's no way in hell I'm sticking around in a house twenty-four seven. I'm going back to Scrimgeour and telling him I want my Auror job back. He told me as soon as I got out of hiding to come back."

"So you still going to partner up with me?" Sirius smiled. Sirius and James had become Aurors their first year out of Hogwarts and had been partnered up because they were such good friends and worked best together.

"'Course." James assured him.

Dumbledore sighed, "Alright, James. I highly suggest you re-think going into hiding...but I see your mind is set. Now, if you don't mind I would like to take a look at Harry for a brief moment."

"What? Why?"

Remus answered, "James, he survived the Killing Curse with only a cut on his head."

"Oh, right." James nodded, standing up and leading the three men to his son. Harry was somehow still happily playing with the dog, the wolf, and the stag. "Hey Harry," James greeted, picking up his son gently and letting Dumbledore examine his forehead.

"Hm." the Headmaster said more to himself than to the others.

"Well?" Sirius prompted.

"I believe he'll have a scar for the rest of his life." Dumbledore stated.

"Could you do anything to get rid of it?"

"Even if I could, I wouldn't." Dumbledore admitted, "Scars can be quite useful. I have one above my left knee that is a perfect replica of the London Underground. No, he'll have this the rest of his life." The man turned his blue eyes to the father, "The Aurors have already been to investigate Godric's Hollow. They want to ask you a few questions later today if you are up to it, James. After that you should be free to move back into Godric's Hollow."

"I'm not moving back into that house." James said through the lump in his throat, "L-Lily died in that house. I won't live there anymore."

"We could all move into my place." Sirius suggested casually.

"That won't work, Sirius." Remus shot down the idea, "Death Eaters eager to avenge Voldemort would think to look for James and Harry wherever you are. Speaking of which... Professor, do you have any idea how Harry is still alive?"

The man with the long white bearded thought for a moment before answering, "I might have a few ideas, but not a definite answer Remus. If you'll excuse me, I have things to take care of." Dumbledore bid them goodbye and left the Room of Requirement.

"Of course he doesn't want to share any ideas with us." Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Back to the living arrangement." Remus ordered.

"Yes sir, Mr. Moony sir!" Sirius gave a mock salute and James allowed a small laugh to come out of him. Then Sirius' tone turned serious, "There is one place no one would expect you to go James... And there's enough room for all of us, you too Remus."

"Where?" James asked, bouncing his son in his arms.

"Number 12, Grimmauld Place."


	4. The Funeral

Life With The Marauders

Chapter Four

"Are you ready yet, Prongs?" Sirius asked after knocking on the door to James' room. It had been one day since Sirius had offered his childhood home to his friends and they were all getting ready to go to the funeral of James' wife. When he didn't get an answer, Sirius opened the door and found James sitting on the bed, holding his son. "Prongs?"

James looked up at his best friend and sniffed. He'd been crying again.

"Aw James." Sirius said as he walked over to the bed and sat beside him.

"I-I don't th-think I want to go S-Sirius." James whispered, closing his eyes tightly. Over the past few hours he had been debating with himself whether or not he wanted to attend his wife's funeral. He'd changed his mind so many times it made his head spin.

"James, if you don't go you'll beat yourself up later on down the road." Sirius told him gently. "Come on. You won't have to stay the entire tme. And if someone comes up to you and tries to talk to you me and Moony'll hex them. Get your robes on, I'll go get Harry ready." Sirius took his godson from James' arms and went to the room down the hall where Harry's room was.

After changing his godson, Sirius carried the boy back to James' room. He knocked again and opened the door. Now James was dressed but his hair looked a horrible mess. Then again, James' hair always looked like a horrible mess. When James saw Sirius and Harry enter the room he stood up and held out his arms. Sirius let James take Harry and led the two down the stairs and to the sitting room where Remus was waiting.

Remus nodded to them and they all went to the fireplace to Floo. The werewolf quickly put a few cleaning charms on all of them before grabbing a pinch of powder from a pot on the mantle. He ducked into the fireplace and half-shouted, "Number 3, Godric's Hollow!"

James, with Harry, and Sirius followed after him. James stayed in his old sitting room and never left the room. Multiple people tried to approach him, but only a selection got past Sirius' curses; McGonagall, Dumbledore, Ted and Andromeda Tonks, Hagrid, and a couple others. They all said about the same thing. That they were sorry for his loss and that Lily was a wonderful person.

After about an hour of this everyone went out to the graveyard. Everyone but James and Harry, that is. Sirius tried to persuade him to go, but James said he was just going to return to Number 12 and feed Harry.

The father used the Floo with his son and arrived at Number 12, Grimmauld Place. He changed himself and Harry into regular clothes and carried his child to the kitchen to make a bottle.

Sirius' home had definitely changed over the past day and a half. As soon as Sirius had suggested using Grimmauld Place for Remus, James, Harry, and himself to live in he had returned home to prepare the house. Most of the rooms had been sealed off so Harry wouldn't wander off into them and find some dark objects. Remus had retrieved some things from Godric's Hollow and his own flat and moved them to Number 12. Once the house was somewhat child-safe, James brought Harry.

Once Harry was fed, James took him up to his room and watched him play with his toys. About half an hour passed and James heard Remus and Sirius return through the Floo.

"James?" Remus' voice carried up the stairs.

"In Harry's room!" James called from his son's doorway. He was soon joined by his fellow Marauders. The two used their wands to change into normal clothing before James asked how the rest of the funeral went.

"Oh, you know. Just a regular funeral." Sirius replied nonchalantly. He didn't believe James would want to know the details or the man would have gone himself. Sirius and Remus understood how hard this was for their friend and they respected his wishes to only stay for part of the funeral service.

Nodding, James turned back to watch his son who was now playing with the three charmed figures Sirius had made. Remus had bought a small box to keep the dog, stag, and wolf in. When the lid of the box was shut the animals would 'turn off'.

Eventually Remus had to leave to go to his job interview in Diagon Alley. The two men wished their friend good luck and he was on his way.

"I hope he gets the job." Sirius said when Remus had left.

"If anyone deserves a job it's Remus." James agreed.

"Hey, you want to play chess?"

"Sure. Do you care if we play up here though? I don't want to be too far away from Harry."

Sirius nodded and went to retrieve the chess set from the sitting room where he and Remus had played the previous night while James found them a spot on the floor to play. Soon the dog Animagus returned and he and James set up the board.

They played two games before James noticed Harry was half-asleep on the floor. With a stifled laugh, he left the board to pick up his son and put him in his crib. The mobile above his crib had stars and moons attached to it, a gift from Remus when Harry was born. James gave it a flick and the mobile span silently.

"Maybe we should move downstairs." Sirius suggested when James rejoined him on the floor. "I don't think we should wake up Pronglet."

James shook his head, "We won't be that loud Sirius."

"Is this about being loud or Harry being left alone?"

The father gave his friend a hard glare, but didn't answer.

"That's what I thought. James, you, Remus, me, and Dumbledore all put up wards around this place. Plus all the wards and protections that we don't even know about that my parents had up. If someone that isn't suppose to be here finds a way in I'll eat my left sock. Come on."

Very reluctantly, James had to admit Sirius had a point. There were so many wards and protection spells on Number 12 it'd be impossible to get in. James helped Sirius pick up the chess pieces and board and the two went to the kitchen table to play one more game. Through the entire game James was distracted, constantly looking at the doorway.

Sirius held back a sigh. His friend's paranoia was to be expected, but it was getting annoying. "James. Harry will be fine. I've got no idea how you're going to go back to work if you can't leave him alone for ten mintues."

Again, Sirius had a point. How was James going to return to his Auror position if he was so distracted?

"Say it with me Prongs, Harry. Is. Fine."

"Harry is fine." James said hesitantly.

"Harry's fine."

"Harry's fine."

"Harry James Potter is completely safe."

"Harry James Potter is completely safe." this time James really did believe what he was saying. It must have just been the recent events that had him so disbelieving.

"Sirius is the coolest bloke you've ever met."

"Sirius is the biggest prat I've ever met."

The dog Animagus rolled his eyes and spat out his tongue. They played another game, James' head was actually in it this time, before Remus came back through the Floo. Just one look at his face and they could tell he had gotten the job.

"And?" James prompted, already knowing the answer.

"I start in a few days." Remus replied with a big smile.

A sudden thought went through Sirius' head, "Guys...what are we going to do about Pronglet?"

"Baby-sitter?" Remus suggested.

James let out a humorless laugh, "Yeah, right. There is no way I'm letting some random person watch my kid. Well...I could put off going to work for a while...I guess."

"Maybe we can get someone we all trust? What about Hagrid?"

Sirius let out a bark-like laugh, "Hagrid? Baby-sit?"

Remus and James cracked smiles. The very idea of the gentle half-giant babysitting someone as big as his own hand was kind of funny.

The trio brainstormed some people, but none seemed to fit the description. It had to be an adult, that way school wouldn't get in the way. They had to be responsible, too.

"Figgy?" Sirius asked the other Marauders.

"Arabella?" Remus looked over at Sirius, "I thought she hated you."

Sirius shook his head, "She doesn't hate me...but she was the one who caught me tossing garden-gnomes into her yard."

"Arabella could work..." James accepted, "We'll have to ask her first of course but she loves Harry so I'm sure she'll say yes. And she's part of the Order, too, so she's trustworthy."

"We also thought Peter was trustworthy." Remus pointed out softly, "I'm not saying Arabella can't be trusted, just playing Devil's Advocate there."

"Remus, it's Figgy!" Sirius reminded him, "Like James said, she loves Harry. She's probably one of the most trustworthy people I know!"

"That's true." James nodded, "Alright. I'll owl her in the morning."

"Speaking of owls..." Remus nodded towards the window where a dark brown owl was hovering, a letter attached to it's leg. Remus went to the window and opened it quickly, letting the owl in. He removed the letter and sent the owl back out.

"Who's it from?" Sirius questioned, getting up from the table and walking to Moony.

Remus held up a finger signaling for Sirius to wait a moment. Sirius impatiently tapped his foot while he and James waited and Remus read.

"Merlin." Remus muttered.

"It's from Merlin?"

"No Sirius I mean...it's from Dumbledore."

"What did he say?" James said, standing now.

"It's the Longbottoms. Frank and Alice were found today and have been sent to St. Mungo's after repeatedly being exposed to the Cruciatus Curse."


	5. Hogwarts

**Sorry it's been such a long time, I had a little trouble deciding whether or not I should go ahead and jump to First Year. You know who you are for helping me make a decision!**

"Calm down, Harry." James told his one and only son. The boy was running his hand through his hair every thirty seconds, something both he and Harry had in common when they were nervous.

"Sorry." Harry apologized a bit sheepishly. He pulled his hand back down to his side. Swallowing a couple times, Harry couldn't decide whether he should be nervous or excited. Finally he was going to start Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It was the same school his father, his godfather Sirius, and his 'Uncle' Remus had all attended, as well as his now deceased mother. Ever since he was little Harry had been told stories about Hogwarts and the Marauders, a name his father and his best friends had given their tight little group. But what if he made a complete fool of himself? What if they had made a mistake and he wasn't really a wizard? Or worse…what if he was Sorted into _Slytherin?_ He wouldn't be able to even face his family if something like that happened. Despite his father's words, Harry ran another hand through his hair.

James inwardly sighed at seeing the action yet again. He himself remembered the day he first boarded the Hogwarts Express. Admittedly, he was a bit nervous. But all that changed ten minutes into the train ride when he met his best friends. Then again he also met that traitorous idiot Pettigrew, too.

A loud train whistle brought James Potter out of his thoughts. He clapped his son on the shoulder, "I expect you to write me a letter after your first day. Got it?"

Harry nodded, grabbing his trunk by one end as his dad took the other end. James helped his son until they reached the train. He put the trunk down and debated on whether or not it would embarrass his son if he gave him a hug. Harry looked almost expectant so James decided it was safe. Pulling the eleven year old into a hug, he said, "If you need anything, just write. Okay?"

"Okay." Harry agreed with a nod as his father released him. "Bye Dad." James gave him one more clap on the back and turned to walk a few feet away. Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. This would be the last time he saw his dad until Christmas….

_Get a hold of yourself!_ Harry berated himself mentally. He was eleven years old for Merlin's sake, he could be by himself for a few months. Besides, he'd be able to write to his dad, as well as Remus and Sirius, any time he wanted. _But it's really not the same._

"See you at Christmas, Harry." James called out just loud enough for his son to hear. Harry gave him a bit of a forced smile and boarded the train.

Once Harry was on the train, he found the first compartment he could that was empty and looked out the window. James quickly found his son's jet black hair covered head and gave him a small wave. Harry waved back and smiled slightly.

Eventually the train began to pull away from the station. Families on the platform continued to wave, smile, cry, and shout good-byes as the Hogwarts Express got further and further away. Harry managed to lift his trunk up and onto the luggage shelf. He sat down against the window and watched the scenery fly by. The compartment door sliding open startled the eleven year old.

A boy with red hair and freckles gave him a bit of an awkward smile, "Um…do you mind if I sit here? Everywhere else is full…."

And those two sentences began a friendship like no other. Soon Ron, the red haired boy, and Harry were discussing their favorite Quidditch teams, Hogwarts, wizard candy, Hogwarts, and more Hogwarts. The train ride passed by quickly, both boys enjoying themselves more than they thought they would. The two boys were having a conversation about the most recent Quiddicth World Cup when a voice rang through the compartment. Harry recognized the spell quickly, Remus used the spell to talk to others that were still in the same house but were in a different room.

"We are approaching Hogsmeade Station. I would like to ask everyone to please change into your Hogwarts robes if you have not done so already. Remember to leave your luggage on the train; it will be carried up separately to the school. Thank you." The driver's voice carried out.

Harry and Ron swiftly retrieved their robes from their trunks and changed their clothes.

After the Sorting Ceremony and the Welcoming Feast, the Gryffindors were led to their Common Room. Harry and Ron had both been Sorted into Gryffindor, which made both extremely happy. Harry wasn't sure what would have happened if he had been put in Slytherin like the Sorting Hat had suggested a couple of times. Imagine what his dad would think…and Sirius…and Remus.

The two friends didn't stay in the Common Room long before they went to the First Year boys' dorm. There were three other First Years there when they arrived: Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnegan.

As the five boys introduced themselves to the one another, they found out a few facts about each other. Dean had a mother for a witch but had grown up in the Muggle world, which had caused the boys to ask a few questions. Neville lived with his grandmother his whole life and his family wasn't sure if he was going to even have magical abilities since he was a 'late bloomer', as Seamus had labeled. Seamus's parents were a witch and wizard and his father worked for _The Daily Prophet._

Eventually the five boys went to their beds, where their trunks had been placed at the end, and changed into their night clothes before going to sleep. Harry decided he would write his letter to his dad after his classes the next day.

**So it isn't too long…*shrug*, but it's something!**


End file.
